Pros:Shape, interface, and toggle controls are very intuitive; all-in-one device has many uses and plenty of storageCons:Viewing screen is small and pixelates with some dark colors; poor battery life; device prone to skipping in audio modeBottom Line:The RD2780 is a solid, good-looking product. If you're currently in the market for an MP3 player, spend the extra money and get the additional features that come with the RD2780.

ReviewRCA's first entry into the burgeoning video jukebox category isn't quite a slam dunk, but it earns the company points. Like any first product, the RCA Lyra A/V Jukebox RD2780 succeeds on some levels and fails on others. As a 20GB multifunction device, the RD2780 can store up to... click here for

A Portable Video Jukebox

RCA's first entry into the burgeoning video jukebox category isn't quite a slam dunk, but it earns the company points. Like any first product, the RCA Lyra A/V Jukebox RD2780 succeeds on some levels and fails on others. As a 20GB multifunction device, the RD2780 can store up to 80 hours of video or 5,000 songs. A color screen means you can also store and view photos and document files on this novel device. But the battery life leaves something to be desired, and a few minor performance complaints detract from the overall quality.

Metallic silver with a 3.5-inch screen at 320 by 240 resolution, the RD2780 fits nicely on your desk and has a convenient kickstand. You use toggle joysticks on its front to navigate the menus, and a CompactFlash slot atop the player lets you transfer files easily from your digital camera.

As an audio jukebox, the RD2780 is pretty standard. It has the usual top-down navigation. Unfortunately, it currently lacks a playlist feature, though RCA says that it will add this in an upcoming firmware download. Transferring video files from your PC is quick and easy using the USB 2.0 interface and the embedded MPEG-4 encoder/decoder. The RD2780 also comes with two audio/video patch cables, which allows for easy recording from other video sources. RCA has also included a nice time-stamp feature for video playback. Say you're watching a movie on your way to work and you have to stop halfway through; set a time-stamp and you can pick up where you left off.

The main problem we encountered with the RD2780 was the battery life during video playback. If you are going on a long flight and expect to watch several films without charging, then this isn't the product for you. After watching a typical 2-hour movie, the battery was almost completely drained. RCA says the RD2780 should provide 4 hours of video playback, but we failed to see this level of performance in our testing. The screen also tended to pixelate when displaying very dark colors. As for audio, the RD2780 has reasonable sound but skips sometimes when jarred or moved quickly; clearly the 20GB hard drive isn't optimized for portable activities. You can actually feel the drive spinning during playback.

There are few direct competitors to compare with the RD2780, although we expect the video jukebox market to explode later this year. It's a higher-end product than the HandHeld ZVUE, and thus comes with a higher price tag. A closer competitor is the Archos Video AV320 Video Recorder; the RD2780 is less cumbersome and somewhat cheaper.

The Lyra is a very solid product. If you're currently in the market for an MP3 player, spend the extra money and get the additional features that come with the RD2780.

Dan Evans is the DIY Analyst for PCMag.com. He has been at the magazine/website for over 10 years and during that tenure has worked on every product team here. When he is not building a PC from scratch he is reviewing laptops, desktops, and videogames. Before coming to PCMag.com he earned a BA in US History at Columbia University and was a member of the oldest collegiate wrestling program in the country. In his spare time he is the co-host of a sports/tech podcast www.thesportscircuit.com....
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